Housewarming
by Sahariah
Summary: Response to challenge. Nick and Sara have finally moved in together, and they're hosting a housewarming party. Things seem to be going smoothly until hell breaks loose in the kitchen & Nick's parents show up unexpectedly to witness the mayhem...
1. Chapter 1

A/N: This is a response to _starcatcbcesp4_'s Challenge in the Yahoo group "CSINick-Sarafanfic". Here's the challenge:

_Situation:_ Nick and Sara have moved in together in a new house. They have a rather interesting housewarming party.  
_Rule_: No references to Grave Danger and don't use it as a spoiler. This is supposed to humorous or humorously bizarre at best.  
_Required: _Nick and Sara pairing, Nick's parents Bill and Jillian Stokes, Catherine with either Grissom or Warrick, Greg and... you can fill in the blank with either a real girl or inflatable doll.

Of the objects we had to choose from, I've chosen:

-rice pudding

-cake frosting

-home movies

-flag football game

-Tiramisu

-Wine Coolers

-Cookbook

-Wine Coolers

-Dallas Cowboy's Jersey

-Macaroni Salad

-Veggie-dogs

-Possibly a 'complete idiot's/ for dummiesguidebook; haven't decided yet.

... I went a little over 8, but whatever. XD This should span a few chapters, It's already pretty lengthy.

* * *

_Disclaimer:_ Don't own it... sigh You always have to rub it in, don't you?

* * *

"Mmm, honey… time to get up…" Sara whispered into the ear of a peacefully sleeping Nick Stokes to the tune of a ringing alarm clock. Slowly waking up, Nick moaned in protest.

"It's Sunday…"

"I know, but the party's today… and we still haven't unpacked or cooked anything up." Sara rubbed her eyes wearily, sitting up and rubbing her boyfriend's back. Nick's eyes finally opened as he fought to suppress a yawn.

"Tell me again, why are we doing this?" He sat up, kissing her lips in a fleeting motion.

"Because… We promised Cath and 'Rick that we'd host a party after we moved in."

"Just because they're crazy enough to throw a midnight bash doesn't mean we have to be…" Nick smirked, knowing full heartedly that there was no way he'd ever win this one.

"Oh, stop it…" Sara rolled her eyes with a smile that knew just as well as Nick did that there was no getting out of it. She blinked a few times, taking in the mess that was the master bedroom. Boxes lined the walls, blocking the sunlight that tried to pour in through a large window. "We _really_ need to unpack."

"No we don't." Nick placed a warm hand on her bare shoulder, pulling her torso back to the bed. He scooted over to plant another kiss on her neck, another on her forehead… Sara's eyes had closed in an involuntary reaction to the waves of longing that had begun to flow through her veins at his touch. Her back arched as she tried desperately to sit back up again, pulling Nick with her.

"Baby, I'll never get anything done if you start that." Her pulse was throbbing. Nick grinned.

"That was kind of the idea-" He broke off at the look he was getting from her; teasingly warning him to stop, or she'd really do something about it. "Alright, I'm headed for a shower. Care to join me?" Nick cocked an eyebrow, staring at her impishly, the way only _he_ could. Sara looked tempted, but turned down the offer with an equally mischievous grin.

"That's- not a good idea," she answered, watching as Nick turned to walk away in laughter.

"After all, who could resist _this_?" He swiveled quickly to face her once again, this time posing as if he were a model. Nick threw his head back, trying to swing his short, bed-head hair through a non existent breeze, acting snobbishly temperamental as he did so. Sara fell back on the bed again, laughing.

"You're hilarious."

"I know."

"Get in there." Sara threw a housecoat over her shoulders before getting up and playfully booting his behind toward the bathroom, still laughing.

"Ow!" Nick exclaimed, rubbing the point of impact through the material of his boxers, making puppy eyes at Sara. His face had completely lost the air of a narcissistic male model, now resembling that of a flirting teenager. He threw a quick wink at Sara before shuffling into the bathroom at high speed, careful to avoid another contact with her foot. The door closed slowly behind him. The sound of running water filled the room shortly after and, satisfied, Sara headed to their shared walk-in closet to find something to wear.

She rummaged through the contents of the wardrobe, failing in her search for anything appropriate to wear to a party. Sighing in renouncement, the woman stood up once more, deciding to deal with the issue later. Her shoulder length hair swayed as she made her way downstairs; she hadn't straightened it yet. _Something else to do._

"What to make for breakfast." Sara stood now in the middle of her new, spacious kitchen, staring at the open and empty cupboards. "…and how." She reached up as high as she could with her arms and yawned. More boxes sat around her, staring and mocking in silence at her plight. "Mehhh…"

There was food in the fridge; she and Nick had gone shopping the previous day. If she could recover a toaster from the pile of crap yet to be unloaded, they'd be all set. Sara reached in and grabbed a loaf of whole wheat bread from the freezer and chucked it onto a spare bit of counter space they'd freed up yesterday. She thanked God quietly under her breath that it was close to a usable power outlet. Closing the freezer, she opened up the fridge door and took a block of butter out. It was rock hard. _Great. Now I have to find a microwave, too._

After the butter was set safely beside the frozen loaf of bread, Sara began digging for the toaster. After about ten minutes, she managed to unearth it from beneath a stack of large pans that she did not recognize. _Must be Nick's,_ she thought vaguely, standing up and plugging the toaster into the wall outlet near where the bread and butter sat. Sara undid the twist-tie on the bag before breaking two slices of frozen bread off the loaf and dropping them carelessly into the toaster. She stared at the butter in annoyance. "You need a microwave."

Sara danced around the kitchen in search of a box hopefully labeled '_microwave_'. Her toast popped before she found it.

"This… goddamned…thing- so… heavy…" She grimaced as she tried to lift the appliance off the ground, not really thinking before she did so. There was nowhere to put it; there were boxes everywhere. Nick walked down the stairs to see her struggling, carrying a 30 pound microwave around frantically, searching desperately for a place to put it. Her face was beet red.

"Sara!" Nick rushed over to help her, lifting the microwave from her arms at once. Sara quickly shoved a few boxes off the counter to make space for Nick to put the thing down, ignoring the crashes with which they landed on the floor. He grunted as he pushed the microwave onto the dark countertop. The pair both stared at the stupid thing for a moment, catching their breath.

"Thanks."

"Don't mention it, gorgeous." Nick snaked his arms around her before frowning at the smell that was reaching his nose. He sniffed. "Is something burning?"

"Burnt." Sara answered, looking at the toaster and the two slices of charred bread that sat in it with an ironic look. "Hungry?" She turned to face him, grinning evilly.

"Not for that." Nick teased, stealing a kiss from her lips. Sara sighed, resting her head on his shoulder.

"You make breakfast."

"Alright. What do you want?"

"Pancakes…" Sara stuck out her bottom lip, pleading. Nick chuckled.

"I'll make you some pancakes." He toyed playfully with her dark curls falling gracefully around her face. She grinned, knowing she had him wrapped around her little finger.

"Thank you." Sara hugged him fully, kissing his cheek as she did so. "I'll be in the shower."

"Okay." Reluctantly, Nick tore his gaze from her deep eyes to his watch. It was 8:30 already. "Baby, it's 8:30. Don't be too long…" At this, Sara frowned.

"I don't want to have anyone over…" She replied scathingly. Nick smiled at her.

"You sound like me."

* * *

Hmm, I guess I could have made that longer. The chapter lengths will vary, because I' m posting them by 'timeframes'. You'll get what I'm on about later. XD Please R&R, I'll probably update this tomorrow! Ta Ta!

-Sahariah


	2. Chapter 2

_A/N:_ Thanks for all the super inspring reviews! You guys are totally awesome! Here's chapter two, hope you enjoy it!

_Disclaimer:_ Don't own it...

* * *

**10:05 AM**

"Ugh, I still can't find anything to wear." Sara muttered to herself, wrapped in a towel as she searched through the closet in annoyance.

"Sar, breakfast is ready!" Nick shouted up the stairs, hoping she could hear him. He had heard the water stop running, so he assumed she would be out of the shower. Truthfully, breakfast had been ready a while back, but he had waited for her, unpacking the kitchen as he did so.

"Coming!" Sara shouted back, still fighting her way through a pile of clothes that had been causally dumped on the walk-in floor. She sighed in relief when she found her favourite pair of jeans; the ones that Nick had said hugged her in all the right places. A smile crossed her lips at the thought as she pulled them on over her underwear. Deciding to wear an old t-shirt incase it got dirty while she was working, she grabbed the closest shirt she could find and threw it on. It was the shirt the team had been given after running the annual LVPD marathon. She then picked up the hair tie that sat on her night table and made her way downstairs.

Sara's stomach rumbled angrily, demanding she find the source of the wonderful aroma that had filled the sizable two story house. "Mmm… Nicky, that smells so good…" Sara snuck up behind him, grabbing his shoulders. He jumped in surprise. "Scared ya."

"Thank you, and no, you didn't." Nick turned from the sink where he'd been washing a few dishes and putting them in cupboards. A crooked grin crossed his face when he saw what Sara was wearing. "Memories, eh?" He nodded at the navy baby-tee.

"Yes indeed, memories…" Sara looked down at the LVPD symbol on her chest, smiling softly. She jumped when the phone rang.

"You plugged the phone in?"

Nick looked at her incredulously. "Of course." He made to pick it up, bringing the black handset to his ear.

"Hello?"

"_Hey Pancho!"_

"Dad? What's up? The caller ID says your calling from somewhere local…"

"_Yes, that's because we're in town. Thought we'd drop in for a surprise visit! Your mother had a conference in town, so I just tagged along. Got some vacation days, you see… You don't mind, do you?"_

Nick made a fleeting glance at Sara, looking worried.

"No… it's fine… hey, Dad, can I call you back in a minute, I'm in the middle of something."

"_Oh, sure, son. Just call my cell. Don't be too long, though."_

"Alright. Talk to you in a few." Nick hung up, biting his lip.

"What's up?" Sara looked rather confused, wondering who had been on the other line.

"That was my Dad." Nick mumbled, staring at the floor for a moment before gazing into his girlfriend's eyes. "He and my Mom are in town, they want to pop in for a visit." He watched her for a reaction.

"Oh… I guess we could have them come to the housewarming party." Sara suggested simply, shrugging. Nick raised his eyebrows and looked around the room, acting as if she was missing something completely obvious. "Look at the place! And my parents don't even know about you." For the first time in a while, Sara saw Nick look genuinely tired.

"Well, I'll admit that it sucks, Nick. But they couldn't have chosen a more convenient day to 'pop in'- at least while they didn't know about me, anyway. We're already having company, so it should be fine. Call them up again… and just tell them." A mischievous look spread across Sara's pretty features. "Or rather… Do they have a good sense of humor?"

"Uh, yeah, I guess…" Nick answered, slightly apprehensively.

"Then tell them you moved, but don't tell them about me. I can be a surprise," she winked. Nick was amazed at her calm front toward the situation. He had half expected the occasionally temperamental Sara Sidle to panic or become angered at the sudden development.

"Alright, if that's what you want." Nick winked at her, picking up the phone again. "I'll play along."

* * *

**10:15 AM**

"They'll be here at two." Nick told Sara, putting the phone down again. He looked at his watch and continued: "It's quarter after ten now, so we have a couple of hours. The others will be here at one, right?"

"Yeah, Cath and Warrick are bringing Linds, I'm pretty sure Grissom will be coming with them. Oh, and I talked to Greggo last night after shift." Sara grinned, putting a stack of glasses away in an overhead cupboard. "He's bringing his girlfriend."

Nick laughed and made his way over to help her unload the boxes of kitchenware; picking up a case of cutlery and finding an appropriate drawer to the right of the sink. "Is she the one with the _impossibly_ green eyes?"

"No, actually… I think I heard him say she had blue eyes." Sara replied, looking thoughtful. "Apparently, she's a doctor of physics at the UNLV." Nick whistled.

"Wow, Greggo's found himself a girl with a Ph.D!"

"I get the feeling he likes women who are smarter than him…" Sara cocked an eyebrow with a sly smile, fully aware that Greg had a crush on her. Nick caught the joke, grinning with another laugh. Sara offered a quick wink before stepping down on a footstool she'd used to reach the top ledge above the cabinet. Picking up a recipe book she'd fished out of a box, she smiled.

"Is this yours?"

"Yeah. My Mom gave it to me when I moved out. She said I'd need to learn to cook for myself if I was going to live so far away." Nick shook his head, smiling as he remembered the day his Mother had given him the cookbook. "She used to make all kinds of desserts at home."

"Mmm. Tiramisu. I know you like that…"

"Yeah, Tiramisu is my favourite." Nick smacked his lips playfully.

"Well, we need to make some food to serve our _guests_. They're already bringing a dish of their own each, but we still need to make something." Sara told him, flipping through the pages of "**Good Cookin'**". "Ooh, yum. Rice pudding. I remember that stuff, my grandmother had a British friend that used to make it. My grandma let me try some once, before my parents…" Sara broke off, staring at the picture of the dessert on the page. "Anyway, I think we should make it."

Nick looked a little concerned at her sudden halt when the subject of her parents came to mind. He let it his concern, however, slip to the back of his mind, somehow knowing his mentioning it would upset her. "Alright, you can make the rice pudding. I'll make the tiramisu!" He suggested with a smile, flattening the now empty box labeled cutlery and chucking it in a pile with the other empty boxes.

"Fine, so dessert is covered. There's an interesting recipe in here for Macaroni Salad that should be fine for part of dinner or a snack." Sara looked up from the book once more. "How do you feel about something on the BBQ for supper?"

"Sounds good to me. You bought the hamburgers and hotdogs last night?"

"Yeah, they're in the fridge. I'd stay away from the hot dogs, if I were you, though." Sara flicked her curly hair from her face, avoiding Nick's eye. "But make sure Greggo eats one." Nick looked perplexed.

"Why?"

"Because they're veggie-dogs." She bit her lip, trying to hold back the laughter that threatened to burst out of her. "And I still have to pay him back for filming me snoring on the couch in the break room. I woke up and he was standing there with a camcorder. Pervert." Sara snarled, remembering the day last week that the quirky lab tech had run around the lab with his camcorder, following her and Catherine around like a stalker.

Nick fought as she had to control his laughter. "Yeah, I heard about that. You know, you should have seen his face when I told him we were moving in together…" Nick followed Sara as she made her way to the fridge to pull out ingredients she needed for rice pudding, placing his hands on her sides and pulling her close as she stood back up.

"I love you, Sar…" Nick spoke softly, playing with her hair again as he placed a passionate kiss on her pink lips. She responded fully, placing her hands on his chest and dropping the can of evaporated milk that she'd fetched from the fridge to the floor. Slowly her palm cupped his jaw, drawing him ever closer as she moaned slightly into the kiss.

"Me too…" Sara whispered into his ear after the pair had reluctantly parted, knowing that if they didn't cool it, things could get a little risqué in a hurry. Nick allowed a soft smile to cross his lips as he heard her words; he loved hearing her confirm what he knew. His fingers continued their toying of her soft raven hair; he loved it when Sara left it curly. "We need to start cooking." She whispered again, the air tickling his ear wonderfully. Sara felt him shiver as she spoke; placing another soft kiss on his neck before pulling away to pick up the can she'd dropped from the fridge.

* * *

Chapter 3 will be up tomorrow! Please R&R, tell me what you think!

-Sahariah


	3. Chapter 3

_A/N: _As promised, here's chapter three! Thanks again for all the awesome reviews, they're keeping me going! As always, please R&R!

_Disclaimer:_ Bloody hell, I don't own it already! (runs into a corner, crying) XD

**

* * *

**

**11:50 AM**

"Arrgh!" Sara cursed under her breath as she rushed to the oven to pull her rice pudding out, seeing puffs of black smoke billowing from it. "I suck at cooking, Nick! I always just order takeout!" She yelled over the sound of the smoke alarm that had just come on. The kitchen was dark with the smog from the oven, and Sara was practically gagging, stuck at the epicenter of it all. Hearing the alarm go off, Nick ran downstairs from their room in a panic.

"Sara! What the hell, are you alright?" He sprinted into the black kitchen, quickly steering his girlfriend to the nearest exit; the second floor deck. She was choking in the smoke, gasping for a breath. Once she was outside, he ran back into the house and turned the oven off, picking up the charred pudding with a pair of kitchen gloves and heading back to where Sara was with it, setting it on the wooden deck to vent.

"Shit, sorry Nick…" Sara looked most displeased with herself. Thankfully, the alarm had turned itself off and the smoke was settling down, dispersing through open windows and doors. Nick couldn't help but laugh, despite how serious the situation could have been.

"I didn't think it possible to screw up a recipe with only about five ingredients." Nick's eyes were watering from the smoke, tears falling down his cheeks from the laughter.

"I don't cook." Sara attempted, sheepishly.

"Why didn't you just say so?"

"Because, I _should_ be able to." Sara admitted grudgingly, avoiding Nick's eye as she stared uncomfortably through the window. "The house is going to be all smoky. Your parents are going to think I'm an arsonist." She cocked an eyebrow, finally catching his gaze. Nick chuckled, trying to picture his parents calling his girlfriend an arsonist. He couldn't.

"Listen, don't worry about it… It was pretty funny, actually…" He crouched down next to the big clay glazed pot containing what once was edible. A great, black bubble protruded from a grey, almost cement looking slop from within the bowl. Nick picked up the wooden spoon that Sara had stuck in it and attempted to stir the mixture. The concoction made gross, almost fart-like sounds as he stirred it; and Sara found herself giggling at the look on Nick's face. His features seemed contorted between deep amusement and bewilderment.

"You really are bad at cooking…" Still crouching, Nick lifted the spoon to the air, offering her a bite.

"Burnt," said Sara.

"Hungry?"

"Not for that."

"Make me breakfast, Nicky?" Nick tried to flutter his eyebrows and pucker his lips, but failed with a bit of a stoned vampire look. Sara nearly fell out of her deck chair laughing.

* * *

**12:20 PM**

"Nicky, honey, I'm going to run to the store quickly to pick up some stuff for the party before Cath and Warrick arrive. Burger buns, Hotdog buns…" Sara paused for a moment to chuckle before continuing. "Maybe a fruit platter, drinks… do you want me to pick up some booze?" She shouted up the stairs to Nick in a playful tone.

"That'd be great. Pick up some beer and wine coolers, will you, baby?" Nick shouted back down the stairs as he zipped up his jeans and continued getting dressed.

"Sure, hey, what do your parents like?"

"Uh, my Dad will drink anything; my Mom doesn't mind the coolers, so I wouldn't worry about it too much. Thanks, sweety."

"See you in a half hour or so? I've got my cell." Sara found Nick's cowboy hat on the coffee table and picked it up, putting it on her head and staring at herself in the hall mirror in a seductive pose. She found herself smiling at her reflection, knowing that she'd have to try it on Nick when she came home.

* * *

**12:30 PM**

A fully clothed and brushed up Nicholas Stokes made his way down the stairs to set up the kitchen for their housewarming party. The tiramisu he'd prepared before Sara's rice pudding incident sat safely on the granite countertop, as did the Macaroni Salad he'd thrown together. Now that all the boxes were gone, Nick could fully appreciate just how spacious the kitchen and eating area was. The house really was beautiful, everything he and Sara had hoped it to be. He leaned against the dark beige walls, admiring their new home and again questioning what in the world he had done that God, or whoever was up there had blessed him withthe most amazing woman he'd ever known… Every time he looked into Sara's dark, empathetic, passionate and kind eyes, he felt lost in everything that was her. He was the luckiest man in the world. Tonight would be _the_ night; he'd finally ask her. Most people would think it too soon to consider it, but never before had he been so certain. He was completely in love with her, that wasn't going to change.

Nick sighed, feeling for something in his pocket, comforting in its smooth feel. Subconsciously, he looked over his shoulder to make sure she was gone. He lifted the box from his pocket and examined its contents for the umpteenth time. His hands shook at the thought, but he knew she'd love it. Slowly, he turned to run back upstairs, where he hid the small black box in the drawer of his night table, deciding to keep it safe there until later. A nervous grin couldn't help but cross his face as he headed back downstairs to pour chips into bowls and set up glasses for everyone. He pulled out a stack of plates from the newly stocked cupboards and set them on the counter to the right of the food with another endearingsmile. These were Sara's plates; he recognized them from her old apartment. Sighing in thought, Nick grabbed a handful of cutlery from a nearby drawer and set it down beside the glasses. He then made his way to his old leather couch in the living room, where he fell comfortably, tossing the football he'd picked up on the way in his hands.

Nick's thoughts wandered as he lay on the comfortable sofa with his football; for lack of anything else but Sara to think about, he found himself foolishly wondering what she'd wear to their party. He was sure she wouldn't wear the LVPD race shirt, she only wore that while she was working or cleaning. _Maybe she'll wear that dark blue blouse_. Nick remembered the last time his girlfriend had worn the chemise that Catherine had convinced her to buy when they'd gone shopping together. She looked striking in the off-the-shoulder top, he remembered the slightly revealing nature of the neck; her cleavage had shown attractively, just enough to tease him. He laughed, realizing how stupid he was being. He was like some horny teenager.

Trying to distract his thoughts from Sara, Nick stared at his watch. _12:45_. She was due back in five minutes or so, probably wanting to get ready before everyone arrived. He sighed, deciding to sit on the deck to take in his new backyard until she returned.

* * *

**12:45 PM **

Sara dropped a case of beer onto the passenger seat of her Tahoe as she got in, buckling her seatbelt afterward. She was surprised it had only taken 25 minutes to pick up the drinks and a few groceries; the lines had been unusually small before the tills. Lowering Nick's cowboy hat over her eyes to block the sun with a smirk, Sara turned her keys in the ignition to start the truck, heading home.

* * *

I'm sure you can fill in the blanks of Nick's intentions... (evil grin) Please R&R, the next chapter _should_ be posted tomorrow, I'll try my best.

-Sahariah


	4. Chapter 4

As promised, Chapter 4 is up! Thanks again for your awesome reviews, they are most inspirational! I promise I haven't forgotten about this story and _The Rest of Our Lives... _but the updates might be a little more sporadic from here in. I'll try my best XD. Please R&R!

_Disclaimer_: I'm not even gonna go there. See the last three chapters. (runs away crying) XD.

**

* * *

**

**12:50 PM **

Nick heard the screen door of the front entrance creek open five minutes later. _She's never late for anything, is she?_

"Hey baby."

Sara dropped her bags and the case of beer on the bench by the entrance upon hearing Nick's voice, remembering her reflection in the mirror before she left. Assuming her pose as she leant back on the closed door, she answered him.

"Hey, cowboy." Nick came walking toward the door to greet her, stopping when his eyes caught sight of her posing so seductively in his cowboy hat. Sara looked smug at her effect on him, lowering the hat by it's rim a little more to hide the smile that crossed her lips. Nick chuckled for a second before stepping down the three steps to the mudroom where she stood.

"You look really hot in that…" He tilted the hat back on her head so he could see her face, which looked up at him expectantly. Nick grinned mischievously as he ducked in for a kiss, wrapping his arms around her waist. Sara rested her palms on his built chest, tracing his muscles with a gentle finger as she responded, pushing her tongue at his lips in a silent beg for entrance. He gladly complied, allowing her to explore his mouth as his tongue dueled fiercely with hers. Sara lifted a hand from his chest to remove the hat from her head, placing it instead on his. Her fingers ran through his hair at the back of his neck, toying with it as he loved to do with hers.

"_My_ cowboy." Sara's forehead rested on his; she spoke as their eyes locked in an enchanting gaze. Her words brought a gratified smile to Nick's lips, his heart rate still raised by their passionate kiss. He pulled her closer to him in a warm embrace, whispering in her ear as he planted kisses all the way up her neck, causing her to shiver.

"I love you, Sidle."

"Nick, we know you're completely head over heels for her, but I never thought I'd see you in the middle of a PDA…" Warrick's voice caused both Sara and Nick to jump, their eyes leaving each other and instead staring at the open door where he stood alongside Catherine and Lindsay.

"PDA?" Sara asked, a faint blush crossing her cheeks as she pulled away from Nick. Catherine grinned at her embarrassment.

"Public Display of Affection."

"It's not public; we're in our own house for God's sake." Nick insisted, taking his hat off and sticking it on Sara's head affectionately.

"It is now." Greg poked his head in the door from behind Catherine, winking at Sara.

"Hi, Greg." Sara smiled sheepishly at the crowd that was forming at their door.

"Come on in, everyone. Don't mind the boxes…" Nick trailed off, staring at the few boxes still sitting around the family room, waiting to be unpacked. He'd have to get to them later.

Catherine, Warrick, Lindsay, Greg and his girlfriend followed Nick up the stairs of the mudroom and into the spacious house, carrying with them several gifts and platters of food. Before continuing, Greg's girlfriend introduced herself to Sara.

"Hi, I'm Lydia. I don't think we've met before… Your house is beautiful. Congratulations," the eye-catching woman, presumably of about 28 smiled at her, exposing perfectly straight, white teeth. She had bright blue eyes and a fair complexion, complimented by long, slightly wavy blonde hair. _Wow…_ Sara thought to herself, _Greggo's found himself quite a catch…_

"Thank you very much. It's great to meet you, Greg's just been raving for weeks. I'm Sara Sidle, as I'm sure you know."

"Yes, Greg told me. He seems to enjoy raving about _you_." Lydia laughed, still smiling as the pair made their way into the kitchen where everyone else was.

"Wow, Nick. Nice place you've got here." Warrick observed the kitchen and attached living room with an approving nod.

"Yeah, it's beautiful." Catherine agreed, walking out to the deck to get a look at the spacious backyard.

Nick smiled. "Thanks." Sara walked into the kitchen alongside Lydia.

"Hey Nick? I'm just going to go change real quick."

"Alright honey."

"Oooh… look who's calling _Sara Sidle_ **honey**, and getting away with it?" Sara could hear Greg teasing Nick as she headed upstairs. Rolling her eyes and smirking to herself, she ran a hand through the shiny curls of her dark hair. It was getting long, now just reaching past her shoulder. She'd never been the type to keep long hair; it usually got in the way, but she knew Nick liked it, so she let it grow.

Back downstairs, Greg was bugging Nick for answers about Sara.

"What kind of shampoo does she use?" He looked utterly serious. Nick cocked an eyebrow.

"You're kidding me, right? You want to know what kind of shampoo she uses?"

"Of course! Oh, have you got to wash her underwear yet? Is she a bikini type or a thong type? Please don't tell me she wears that lacy grandma underwear…" Nick shook his head and held up a hand, turning away to open some of the food everyone brought.

"I'm _not_ answering that, Greggo." A smile couldn't help but cross his lips.

"He has way too much respect for me. Right, Nicky?" Sara was back downstairs, wearing a new black blouse with halter straps tying around her neck. It's sleeves flared slightly, reaching only halfway down her arms. There was a slit in the neck, exposing enough cleavage to increase Nick's heart rate. "Would you mind tying this back part for me, baby?" Sara pouted at her boyfriend seductively; he walked over like clockwork. Greg just stood there alone, watching with his mouth hanging open.

"Sure, darlin'." Nick took the ties from her hands, tying up the corset-style lower back of her top. It hugged her in all the right places, exposing a little skin on her back as well. "Wow…" Nick whispered, his hands on her shoulders as his eyes took her in from the front. "You look amazing, Sar. New top?" He ducked down to her lips for a quick kiss.

"Of course. I thought you might like it…" She glowed at him, pulling him into a quick hug before giving Greg a look that said 'Y_ou really are an idiot'_.

"Mmm… so what do we have here?" Sara mused, finishing opening up everyone's offerings of food.

"I made that one." Greg told her quickly, pointing at the cake she was looking at.

"Very nice, Greg. I didn't know you could cook."

"Surprise, surprise. I thought we could make an _activity_ out of icing it." He held up a sizable container of cake frosting.

"Aaah. Chocolate icing…" Sara peered at the container, reading its label. "Well, at least there'll be another dessert besides Nick's tiramisu. My rice pudding… errr…."

Greg grinned. "Nick told me. I hear it was like cement."

"Shut up, Greg." Sara gave him a quick slap on the shoulder before walking past him to the other side of the counter, where she continued looking at what else was brought.

"I'm gonna go talk with Cath and 'Rick. Uh, Greggo, what's your girlfriend's name?"

"Lydia. I'll introduce you." Greg followed Nick out the door to the deck, where Catherine, Warrick, Lindsay and Lydia stood, still admiring the beautiful backyard. Sara looked round, noticing someone was missing.

"Hey Greg, where's Grissom?"

Greg looked back at her, looking thoughtful for a moment.

"He's coming; said he had to speak at a conference then make a stop at the lab. I talked to him an hour ago." He patted his cell phone with a hand.

"Ok, thanks, Greggo." Sara looked at her watch. It was 1:30, Nick's parents would be there in a half hour. She had just enought time to tell everyone that they were coming- and make sure they knew not to let it slip that she was Nick's girlfriend. Closing the lid on a large bowl of Mararoni Salad that Nick had made earlier, Sara made her way onto the deck where everyone was standing.

* * *

Chapter 5 is still being written... (sighh) being balanced with three other projects. It's on my priority list, though, so keep checking! Hope you enjoyed... drop me a review to let me know! I'm off to update another Snickers story. XD. Ta Ta!

-Sahariah


	5. Chapter 5

_A/N: _Chapter 5 is here! Here's where it starts getting interesting... (laughs) Leggo my Greggo! Thanks for all your lovely reviews on the past four chapters, you guys are awesome.

_Disclaimer_: Unfortunately, I do not own CSI. Fortunately, however... I don't own the four lines Greggo is singing, either. Those belong to Madonna. (nods) And she can have them. XD ... For hints, look at the title of this chapter. By the way, I don't want anyone to take offense to my reference to her song. I don't hate her, nor do I intend to discriminate against anyone who likes her and/or her music. Onward!

* * *

"They're gonna be so freaked out when they show up here to see _that_ happening…" Nick muttered under his breath to Sara, who poked him playfully in return. "Ow."

"If they possess personalities anything like their son's, they should be fine." Sara dismissed his worries. "It's just a little Karaoke; Greggo brought a bunch of his party crap in the back of his truck. I'm more worried about what Grissom will think."

"You still care? I thought you were over him… that's what you told me." Nick sounded a little worried; for a second he believed that she may still carry something of a flame for their supervisor.

"Nicky, I wouldn't move in with you if I loved _Grissom_. Just like how I wouldn't move in with Grissom if I loved you." Sara paused for a moment, recounting her words. "Which… I do." She continued, having confused herself. Nick, his thoughts drifting on the ring upstairs looked relieved.

"When… are you going to trust me when I tell you I love you, cowboy?" Sara placed a hand on his cheek, standing on her toes for a kiss.

"I do! I just can't stop thinking about how lucky I am." Nick smiled and pulled her close as they stood alone in the kitchen, Catherine and Warrick staring at them with Lindsay through the window, knowing smirks lacing their faces.

"I never pictured either of them acting like they couldn't keep their hands off each other." Catherine whispered to Warrick, trying to keep her voice down so that Lindsay couldn't hear.

"You kidding? They've liked each other since Sara showed up almost six years ago."

"And you know this…"

Warrick gave her a look that suggested he wanted to do exactly what Nick and Sara were.

"Not with Linds around!" Catherine hissed as Warrick walked up behind her, massaging her back and whispering in her ear.

"We've known each other longer…"

88888888888888888888888888888888888888888

"Alright, guys… its 1:45, we need to take our places!" Greg looked at his watch before grabbing a rather large handful of Cheezies and stuffing them all in his mouth. "Mmff. Kah-reh-ohk-eh fuhrst, ven?" Greg's girlfriend Lydia watched in repulsion as he attempted to talk between bites of nasty looking orange stuff in his mouth. No one could understand what he was saying.

"Excuse me?" Sara cocked an eyebrow, the look on her face causing Nick and Warrick to snigger hopelessly. Greg choked, trying not to laugh himself and began coughing, spewing Cheezie juice all over the room and onto Sara's new blouse. He covered his mouth after a second, looking up in apology.

"I was just asking if we were doing Karaoke first… Errr… Sorry…" Greg grimaced at Sara's soiled top. She just blinked at him, not willing to become angered at her own party.

"You set up your Karaoke over by the TV while I change. Sorry everyone, I'll be back in a second…" She turned to leave.

"We haven't showed you upstairs yet, have we? Why don't we go up with Sara and I'll show you around." Nick suggested to the silent crowd. So far, this wasn't much of a party… He was determined to at least keep it going. The guests gladly obliged, following the couple upstairs. Warrick threw an arm around Catherine; they'd started dating around the same time Nick and Sara had. Catherine patted her daughter's shoulder, turning her around to follow them. Lindsay had been staring with her mouth open at Greg and Lydia, who'd been lingering at the back of the pack. The quirky former lab-tech was whispering into his girlfriend's ear and gradually running his fingers up her side. Judging by the shocked look on her face, he had just mumbled something dirty into her ear. Catherine rolled her eyes and gently pushed Lindsay along in front of her. Greg departed as everyone else made their way up the stairs.

"Back in a few," he hummed nonchalantly, dangling a set of car keys from his hand as he exited through the front door.

88888888888888888888888888888888888888888

"What can I wear…" Sara mumbled grumpily, still fighting to maintain control of her anger. She'd bought the sleek black blouse specially for the occasion, and within the first half hour, Greg (_of course…_) had ruined it by stuffing too many Cheezies in his mouth. Grimacing, she looked down at the orange splotches on her shirt. Disgusting.

Sara decided that she couldn't bear wearing the shirt anymore, even as she searched for something else to throw on instead. She moved to undo the corset ties at it's back, sighing in conceded defeat when she couldn't reach the knot. Nick had helped her the first time; he'd have to help her again.

"Nicky, can you come here for a sec?" Sara shouted down the hallway at Nick, who was showing everyone the two guestrooms on the second floor. Not willing to give up until he came, she tried again to reach the knot that sat mockingly in the middle of her back. Squatting down in the closet, she let her eyes continue to wander in search of appropriate attire.

"Coming." Nick replied, quickly finishing his explanation of the color scheme he and Sara had been considering for each of the guestrooms before heading to the master bedroom where he saw a harassed looking Sara Sidle crouching on her toes, looking straight up. She heard him come in.

"Can you undo this for me real quick?" She tried to look over her shoulder to speak to him, quickly loosing balance and tipping over with a light thump. Nick, although momentarily surprised at her tumble, chuckled fondly. It was extremely cute. "Ow…" Sara frowned from the ground where she lay on her back, looking up at him like an hurt child.

"Come here, you…" Nick knelt down next to her with a loving look in his eye, helping her sit up with a tender touch. "You really have no idea how adorable that was." He smiled warmly at her, pulling her into a amorous embrace as his arms reached around to her back. It was with skilled fingers that he undid the knot he'd tied earlier, freeing her from the tightness of the blouse almost as beautiful as her. Part of Nick wished that Greg hadn't been such a pig and spewed orange crud everywhere through both his mouth and nose, but on the other hand, Sara had looked uncomfortable in the shirt, even after only a half hour of wearing it. He hated to see her in even slight misery, no matter what the cause. Besides, she looked stunning in anything.

"Mmh, God, _thank_ you." Sara lurched her back forward, feeling so much better now that she could breathe properly. She rested her head in the nape of his neck for a moment, just enjoying his touch and scent until she heard giggling at the doorway. Her eyes, which had at some point unknown to her closed now opened alertly to see little Lindsay at the door, laughing like the child she was. Nick turned his head to face Lindsay at the doorway, grinning like an idiot as he caught Warrick's eye. The whole group was now standing at the doorway to his and Sara's master bedroom.

Sara smiled quite comfortably. "Nick was helping me undo the back of my blouse and I fell over." She felt no shame in attaching herself to him in the process, he _was_ her boyfriend. "I still need to find something to wear…" She winked at Nick and left him with a quick kiss on the lips as she stood up, her bare back visible through the loose strings of her blouse.

"Here." Nick's grin broadened considerably as he opened a drawer on his side of the bed. "Catch." He threw a dark blue football jersey to her. Sara caught it, looking puzzled. "Dallas Cowboys… My Dad bought me that when I was a teenager. It should fit you."

"Aww." Catherine sighed under her breath, watching the pair like they were really something special. Sara threw her a darting glance and caught Nick's jersey.

"Thanks, _baby_." She emphasized the last word, walking into the bathroom to put Nick's shirt on with a seductive demeanor in her eye. Lindsay just stared while Warrick raised his eyebrows. Catching the looks on their faces just before she entered the master bathroom, Sara gazed back, whispering: "Have no shame."

Nick chuckled, catching her eye before she removed herself from sight.

"Guys, it's 1:55… I've finally got this thing hooked up! Come on down, we have five minutes!" Greg's voice bellowed from the bottom floor of the handsome two story home, creating a very slight echo just before music started blaring.

"_I made it through the wilderness!  
Somehow I made it through-oo-oooh…"_

"GREG, SHUT THAT OFF, NOW!" Sara's head tore out of the bathroom as she finished putting Nick's jersey on. The music was so loud that the floor was shaking, the only sound to be heard over the moaning that was Madonna was Greg's terrible singing.

"_Didn't know how lost I was,  
Until I found you-whoo-ooooh"_

Sara knew the song would be stuck in her head for weeks. She chucked her cheezie splattered shirt into a pile with all her other clothes yet to be hung up and unpacked and sprinted downstairs, wincing at every word Greg sang along to.

"Greg! Turn it OFF!" Her voice barely raised above the music, blaring ever louder from the living room. Sara watched in horror as glasses and decorative plates hopped about to the bass, threatening to crash down on the carpeted floor. Lydia had followed Sara downstairs from the bathroom, and was screaming at her boyfriend just as loud, trying to raise her voice above the sound to be heard.

Greg, presumably trying to duplicate the dance moves of Napoleon Dynamite, carried a microphone in his hand that was hooked up to the speakers on either side of the big screen TV. He seemed completely oblivious to the shouting around him, wearing oversize disconnected headphones on his ears to muffle the sound so he could hear his own voice in his head.

"_Like a VIRRRRRGINNNN!"_

Catherine, Warrick and Nick had followed Sara and Lydia into the living room, Lindsay wrapped tight in Catherine's arms as her mother tried to cover her daughter's ears at the last lyric, unsuccessfully. The eight year old, who was already cringing at the blaring volume of the song looked up at her mother.

"Mommie! What's a virgin!" The tall blonde woman had just managed to catch what Lindsay had said and looked utterly horrified. Nick jogged up to the stereo covering his ears and quickly turned the volume off, wincing in pain. It took a moment for Greg to notice the music had stopped; he continued singing.

"_Touched for the VERY- first Timmmmme-_ … Hey, what's up, man?_" _Greg looked up at Nick, confusion evident on his face. In all the commotion, no one heard the doorbell ring for the fifth time. Every body in the room stood suddenly rigid.

Sara finally looked at Nick. "Honey, you did tell them it was a housewarming party… right?" She asked weakly, a nervous smile spreading on her face. She hadn't quite intended for Nick's parents to show up while Greg was screaming to '_Like a Virgin_'. Any other song, sure- that was the idea. Not that one.

"Uh, yeah… I did… when I told them our, I mean _my_ new address." A sheepish grin crossed Nick's equally nervous features.

* * *

_A/N:_ I'm really bad with these cliffies, aren't I? (evil grin) I promise I won't make you wait too long for the next chapter... I just had to stop it here. XD You can harass me all you want to post the next part in a review... (hint, hint... heheh!) Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Until next time...

Sahariah


	6. Tinkerbell the Hotdog

_A/N:_ I'm not dead. (grins) I know it's been so long since I've updated _anything_ on I have an explanation. I left shortly after my last update for a little summer vacationing, and on the last day, I managed to faint and collapse, thus falling face first into a boat hitch and uh... concrete. Since then I've been in and out of the doctor's office with medications and stuff... It just hasn't been pleasant. I still don't really know what happened. In any case, the subsequent injuries to my face have kept me off & the computer until recently. 0.o So I haven't been updating. I'm back on now, though... so updates should be coming much more often... And please excuse how long this A/N is going to be...

_StarESP4Cat_: I'm glad you like where the story is going so far! Here's the first bit of your _chaos_, m'dear!

_Heavens Demise_: Aww, thanks for such a lovely review. I was bawling after reading the 6th HP book too. I'm glad you are enjoying the story so far.

_EquestrianBabe_: Disney Rap? That sounds a little frightening. Even more frightening, I think I could see Greg rapping to Disney music. Oh God. 0.o Hope you enjoy the next chapter!

Thanks a ton to everyone who reviewed! I hope this chapter gives you a good laugh!

* * *

_Disclaimer:_ I don't own Cheezies, Oscar Meyer Wieners, umm… Marilyn Monroe... CSI or any of its characters. I'm simply toying with their lives. (gahahaha.)

* * *

"Oh, Nicky! My baby, how are you?" Jillian Stokes pulled her son into a motherly hug at the foot of the doorway. He could hear her sniffling back tears and smiled softly, returning her embrace.

"Hi, Mom." Nick planted a kiss on her cheek and looked up to see his father standing just behind. "Hey, Dad." A grin spread on his face as he patted his mother on the back before moving on to greet his dad.

"Hey, Pancho. Long time, no see." The man pulled his son into a half embrace, clasping his hand between them. Nick chuckled fondly at the nickname his father had given him. It was something they had always shared; just the two of them.

"Yeah! Come in!" He ushered his sixty-something parents into the mudroom, where they started removing their shoes, gazing into the tall ceilings and oak décor of the family room as they did so. He smiled to himself; the elegant wall tower his mother was eyeing was Sara's.

"Wow, darlin', who decorated? That tower is gorgeous!" Jillian Stokes stood holding her black dress shoes, still taking in the house. Nick froze for a moment feeling obtuse; it hadn't occurred to him that she might ask about it. He hoped she hadn't noticed the photos of Sara and him that sat on the shelves of the dark wall unit. Chuckling nervously, he answered her.

"I did, of course. Come on in-" His words cut off mid-sentence, interrupted in surprise by the dark silhouette in the doorway. Nick's eyes adjusted for a moment; the sun was blindingly bright at the figure's back, making it hard to see who it was. He saw its head move impatiently, and Grissom stepped closer to the glass door, knocking twice and allowing a boyish simper to cross his aging face. He winked at the stationary Nick, who snapped back into action confidently, thankful for someone to distract his parents from Sara's furniture.

The door swung open to reveal the smart-dressed man in closer view; he looked more dressed up than usual. Nick didn't fool himself into thinking his boss had dressed up for the occasion; he knew he had been scheduled to teach at some conference earlier today. A vague thought crossed his mind as Grissom stepped into the mudroom with a "Hey, Nicky." He wondered vaguely how well-dressed one was expected to be to talk about bugs.

The entomologist began removing his shoes, but paused when his eyes passed over Nick's parents. He stood up fully, gently kicking off a russet dress shoe before offering the couple his hand in greeting with a faint chuckle.

"Jillian and Bill!"

The couple, who had missed Grissom's entrance in their determined examination of the new house swerved around upon hearing their names. Perplexed looks crossed their faces for a mere moment, only to be replaced by those of warm acknowledgment.

"Doctor Grissom! We had no idea you were coming here!"

"Uh… Gil Grissom is my boss, ma-" Nick interjected, a little taken aback. He had no idea the three guests already knew each other. Grissom's simper remained stubbornly plastered to his face as the couple took his hand in turn; twinkling eyes never leaving the pair as he explained.

"I met your mother and father this morning at the conference I was speaking at."

"A very interesting speech it was, doctor." Nick's father beamed at the man before him, still clasping his hand tightly, wobbling it as he spoke.

"Brilliant." Jillian agreed, catching Nick's eye for a fraction of a second and smiling at his quietly restrained appearance. She slowly left her husband's side as the pair continued to talk, capturing her son in another motherly hug as she dropped her dark shoes in an obscure corner of the mudroom. Another loving smile cracked at her lips. She was just about to comment on the intriguing photos placed strategically on the wall unit when a loud crash from the living room met her ears. She felt her son cringe in her arms.

"Greg, you idiot! You're gonna screw this whole thing up!" Sara's hushed whispers met Nick's ears and were followed by another loud clatter. He smiled weakly at his mother.

"Shhh! Turn the stupid music on!"

"Mommie, you look funny in your costume."

"Shhh… Linds, honey; we need to be quiet right now."

"Aww, lighten up, Cath. You do look funny. Hot, actually."

"_Greg!_"

"Lydia, you know I love you. I'll never cheat on you, don't worry."

"Where's Warrick?"

"He's still getting, uh, _pimped up_ in the bathroom. Lydia, Catherine, Sara… don't look at me like that."

"I'll look at you however I want… I can't _believe_ I let you talk me into this. Where the _hell_ did you get these costumes?"

"Oh, but you look beautiful, Sara darling. Don't glare at me like that. And the costumes are mine. My niece likes to play dress up with uncle Tinkerbell."

"…_Tinkerbell?_"

"Uh, never mind."

"I look like an airhead, Greg."

"Ah, but an endearing one-"

"Thank you, _Tinkerbell_. Why haven't you put the stupid music on yet?"

"- I'm working on the music; gimme a break! Hey, nice treads 'Rick, man."

"Hee hee… Mommie… Warrick looks funnier that _you_."

They were being much too loud; and the whole front door party was staring at Nick, their eyes questioning. He tried to meet their stares with a reassuring smile, barely managing a very painful looking grimace. He didn't know costumes were part of the deal. Just when he was beginning to feel his cheeks and ears grow pink, more ridiculous music came blasting from the living room, although nowhere near the decibel count as Greg's criminally off-tune singing. He must have had some sort of microphone. Damn him.

"_MMM, MMM, MMM, YEAH!"_

Nick prayed in desperate silence that something or somebody would cause Greg to shut up. Now.

"_I wish I were an Oscar Meyer Wiener… That is what I'd truly like to be…"_

Back in the living room, Sara had biffed Greg in the side of the head with her French Maid's purse, cursing at him under her breath. "Shut up, _now!_ This wasn't part of the plan! What the hell _is_ this? I told you to put _music_ on!"

"Oh, relax, Sara. It'll be great, as long as you play the part!"

Greg made a small pirouette in his hot dog costume, knocking a stack of CD's off the stereo as he made his way back to the kitchen, where he searched for the bowl of Cheezies.

"Yum." He stuffed a generous handful of the junk food into his face, chewing with his mouth wide open. "Oh, _man_. I love this part of the song." Greg strut his head forward like a chicken, the bottom of his hot dog bun at his feet moving with it to the nonexistent beat. He seemed deaf to the loud banging the costume made against several cupboards at knee height; after all, he was hitting a lot of things with his hands, too. He knocked the stack of plastic cups that sat on the counter into Nick's Tiramisu and overturned several (thankfully) empty bowls as he began to stomp his foot in time with the music.

888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888

Unable to think of anything else to say or do, Nick finally decided to lead the new arrivals into the kitchen to…err… _meet the other guests._ The small group followed him patiently, trying politely to ignore the 'Oscar Meyer Weiner' theme song playing loudly in the background. Jillian continued to gaze curiously at the pictures of Sara and Nick together on the wall unit as they made the trek. Nick noticed what his mother was looking at when he threw a darting glance over his shoulder. He should have known his mother would figure out the trick before they'd even started.

It seemed an eternity before they arrived at the oak rimmed archway leading into the modish kitchen. Another loud bang greeted them as they walked in; Jillian and Bill standing together at Nick's right, Grissom on his left. Only faintly surprised, Nick ran a hand through his dark hair with an uncomfortable sigh. It seemed his parents were unsure how to react; his mom stood with her mouth open, a smile toying at her lips and a twinkle dancing in her eye. Bill just looked amused. Grissom, however, managed a cough of surprise when he saw Greg dressed up as an Oscar Meyer Weiner. Nick made a mental note to kill the new CSI later when he started singing again.

"'_Cuz if I were an Oscar Meyer Wiener, Sara would be in love with meee… and not… errr… Nick-yyy…_"

Sara smiled weakly at the group in the archway; a faint blush crawling up her cheeks as she made to punch Greg. "Hello…" she squeaked, pursing her lips in an effort to keep a stupid grin from crossing her face. Her fist impacted Greg in the back of the head through his hot dog bun as she spoke, causing him to loose balance.

"_Umpff-_" Greg fell forward into the counter and threw out his arms ahead to break the fall, landing his fist in Nick's tiramisu and knocking a bowl of punch onto the tile floor.

"Greg!" Sara's jaw dropped as she moved to peel him from the countertop; barely lifting his fist from the Italian dessert before...

"Oh!" A faint yelp escaped her lips as she slipped in the orange punch that was still spilling onto the floor. Her arms flailed helplessly, fingers clasping the fabric of Greg's costume as she fell; pulling the jumbo plush hotdog down with her.

"Sara!" Nick ran without thinking to catch the falling French maid; his initial shock at their ridiculous costumes fading instantly. He reached out to her, the icy punch still spreading across the kitchen floor as he approached. The wide eyed Sara almost caught his hand when he slipped too, falling right beside her, hitting his head on a lower cupboard as when he hit the floor. Greg followed promptly, landing quite comfortably into their laps with a goofy grin.

"Let me be your Oscar Meyer Weiner, Sara darling." Greg looked up at Sara who sat stunned beside Nick, batting his eyelashes as he spoke, words laced with a sugary, flirting tone. The pretty brunette picked up her fallen handbag from the orange punch and knocked him one, the sticky party juice splattering attractively across his face. Nick beamed in amusement, chuckling at the shocked look on his face and the menacing one on Sara's.

"Shut up, hot dog boy," she snapped, dropping her costume-matching purse back on the floor from about three feet above, causing enough of a splash to speckle the Oscar Meyer's face with more punch. Greg's smile faltered helplessly as he blinked the liquid out of his eyes. Nick was still laughing.

"My mom says that if you roll your eyes like that, they'll get stuck that way." Lindsay looked had looked up at Greg's girlfriend Lydia; the only partygoer besides the new arrivals who had refused to dress up in one of Greg's costumes, with a blank stare. The girl's headband bunny ears fell off her blonde locks for the third time as her head tilted back, falling on punch-less tile floor almost soundlessly. Catherine cocked an eyebrow, looking a little uncomfortable in her own attire as she bent to pick them up. Sanders had insisted she wear his Marilyn Monroe costume. Grudgingly, she had agreed. She'd worn less, but felt a little wary about being seen in such a revealing outfit by anyone besides her coworkers.

"Shh, honey… Don't bug Lydia." Catherine chuckled, casting an apologetic smirk in the tall, blonde woman's direction as she helped Lindsay put her pink ears back on. Her gaze was then averted back to the ludicrous trio who were still trying to stand up; Greg having the most trouble. Sara and Nick couldn't move under the tech's weight, and neither his arms nor legs could touch the floor while he wore the stupid hot dog costume. Eventually, Nick managed to push him off their laps. Greg rolled down, stopping finally about 6 feet away face first in the spreading punch spill.

Nick, still grinning, helped Sara up from the slippery ground, bracing himself with a hand on the countertop. She stumbled, trying to stand in the ridiculously high shoes Greg had made her wear with the French maid costume. What scared her was they were her exact size.

"Greg, man! What have you done to my tiramisu?" Nick, completely forgetting his parents and Grissom were even there, gestured wildly at the ruined dessert. The cups Greg had knocked into it during his Cheezie perusal were jammed halfway into the cake and there was a large fist print punched through the middle of it. Sara remembered Greg landing his hand straight into the tiramisu after she slugged him in the back of the hot dog, just before he knocked the orange punch over. She stared helplessly Nick's horribly mauled favourite dessert. Greg stumbled over to the counter to join them, feeling a little dizzy and looking more than a little guilty.

"Sorry…"

"My goodness…"

Nick turned sharply at the sound of his mother's voice, finally remembering the three forgotten guests that stood staring at their punch soaked behinds from the archway to the kitchen. He almost lost his footing again, but Sara caught him just in time, turning with him to face his parents and the ever composed Gil Grissom. She reached behind her to snag a tea towel from beside the sink, her facial expression not faltering and her eyes never leaving theirs. The towel was thrown unceremoniously onto the floor, where she started mopping up the mess of punch with her foot on the towel. She grinned weakly at her most recent guests; her coworkers plus Lydia and Lindsay gawking just as intently from behind her. Catherine's hand unconsciously found its place on her chest to cover up for the moment what her costume did not. The whole room was quiet for what seemed like hours. Finally Sara managed to say something.

"Um, Hi!" She started, reaching down to her ankle to take off the four inch heels then moving forward to greet the group, barefoot. Nick threw another tea towel on the kitchen floor, mentally noting that they'd probably never be quite the same color again, and followed her.

"Err, sorry… about that, Mom, Dad… Gris… I'd like to introduce you to my cowo-"

"We're his band!"

The whole kitchen stared now at Greg, their eyes wide in confusion and alarm.

* * *


End file.
